"I want to create a film that will be highly appreciated in Moscow"
Kumazawa, a diplomat who plays his game in relations with Russia, and a Japanese doctor known for inhumane experiments on humans: actor Junsuke Kinoshita once left a successful film career in his homeland to try his luck in Russia, and did not lose. He is currently filming the large-scale Russian-Chinese action film Black Silk, which will premiere in 2027. And on May 3, REN TV viewers will see him in the sequel to the action-packed military detective "SMERSH". In one of the two novels of the new season of the series, Soviet intelligence officers will have to prevent the Nazis from using biological weapons. The actor told Izvestia in an interview about whose steadfastness Junsuke Kinoshita admired on the set, what he finds wonderful in celebrating Victory Day and what condition tempted him to move to Moscow.
"It is wonderful that Russia deeply honors the memory of soldiers and protects their honor"
— Tell us about your role in the SMERSH 4 project?
— In the novel "Operation Cerberus" I play a Japanese doctor who develops bacteriological weapons. My hero is trying to get hold of valuable scientific data. For the sake of the success of this business, he does not choose the means: he is even ready to conduct experiments on humans. Is this an excessive scientific curiosity of the doctor or devotion to the emperor and Japan? I'll leave that to the audience.
The work on the site was very comfortable. I especially remember shooting with Valery Storozhik, who played the role of a Soviet professor of virology, Chizhov. My hero is torturing his character to extract information. But even when he is being tortured, he does not give out a word about research and retains incredible dignity. It completely fits the character of the character, and I was truly delighted with this work.
— The action takes place during the Great Patriotic War. Preserving the memory of the heroic deed of the Soviet people is a very important and sensitive topic for Russians. Victory Day is ahead. You have been living and working in Russia for a long time. How do you feel about this date?
— I have already starred in works about the Great Patriotic War twice. Both times the roles were pretty big, so sometimes people recognize me, come up and say: "I saw you." In Russia, I see military parades every year in one way or another. I believe that respecting those who risked their lives to protect the country is very right and important. It is especially wonderful that in Russia they not only celebrate the victory, but also deeply honor the memory of the soldiers who fought for their Homeland, and cherish their honor.
"One day I unexpectedly received an offer to go to Russia"
— Why did you decide to move from Japan to Russia at the time?
— There is a very fast pace in Japan, and the field of film production is perceived in many ways more as a business than as an art. Of course, I made good money, but I wanted more — to play roles from the heart, to work on really creative projects, including directing.
I lived with such thoughts for a while, and one day I unexpectedly received an offer to go to Russia. The director of a museum in Moscow told my sister, who was already living here at that time: "I have a spare room, I want to rent it to a Japanese." She half-jokingly told me, "Brother, why don't you take it off and live?" And I just immediately replied, "I'm on my way, book a room." I did not hesitate to agree. Since then, I've been working here as an actor and director.
— What is the most difficult thing for you to get used to here, and what, on the contrary, is close?
— In Russia, I still can't get used to the fact that they don't attach much importance to the process here, but think about the result right away. This is well reflected in your proverb: "All is well that ends well." In Japan, they always carefully analyze why the result is exactly what led to it. It helps you achieve even more next time. We believe that this is how a person grows and develops.
Here, people are more likely to focus on the result rather than the process, so they often repeat the same mistakes. However, Russians have a broad and calm soul that allows them to forgive such mistakes. If we could combine our strengths — the Japanese and the Russians — I think it would be the most powerful combination in the world.
— And if we talk about acting school, what is the difference between Russian and Japanese?
— Russian theater universities have excellent, well-thought-out programs. In addition, there is a well-established system of theaters that accept graduates. All this has been accumulated over the centuries, honed, and became both universal and modern. It is wonderful. Unfortunately, there is no such system continuity in Japan.
"Black Silk" is a large—scale historical drama."
— Which characters are you most often offered here?
— In Russia, I played a variety of characters. In recent years, he has played the role of doctors developing bacteriological weapons several times, as in the military detective "SMERSH 4". But regardless of the profession of my characters, these are often deep images. And they think like professional intelligence officers.
In addition, I've played several historical Japanese people connected to Russia.: Akashi Motojiro, Enomoto Takeaki, Togo Shigenori, Ishii Shiro and others. This is a special joy for me!
— Right now you are filming another historical project, the Russian—Chinese blockbuster Black Silk. What is the interest of this film?
— The attraction of "Black Silk" is that it is a large-scale historical drama. The sets and costumes are luxurious, the directing is very precise, and the talented actors literally live their characters every day on the set. Each hero is humane and acts according to his own motives.
I have the role of a Kumazawa diplomat who has close ties with Russia. The director explained to me that this character is a man who genuinely loves the world. And he is acting for peace, but difficult political circumstances arise in his path, into which he finds himself embroiled. Therefore, in every move of Kumazawa, I try to keep this idea inwardly — that he lives with a mission to protect Japan, and build my game based on this.
— The first film of this Russian-Chinese franchise, Red Silk, was shown in many countries around the world, including China. Do you think the story you are currently working on will be interesting to viewers in your homeland?
— The art of Russian cinema is close to me. I truly love him. That's why I really want the film to be shown in Japan — it's important for me that this work resonates with the Japanese audience.
— The Moscow International Film Festival is in full swing. You once said that you dream of receiving a prize at this screening for your directorial work. Are you still striving for this?
— Yes, of course, I think about it all the time. As an actor, I've already walked the red carpet of this competition. As a director, I want to create a film that will be highly appreciated at the Moscow International Film Festival. And I think it's just a matter of time.
I'm currently in active discussions with the producers, and I have several projects and scripts. Being Japanese, I mostly suggest stories in which Japan appears in the Russian plot. All of them are very interesting, and I am sure that if they are implemented, they will cause a great response.
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